Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Interview with Anna del Mar, Author of At the Brink

What made you decide to
be an author? I
always knew I’d be an author. I have early memories of reading storybooks and
thinking: “Hey, I could do this, I could tell stories to other kids.” And I
loved writing. I always wrote for myself. But it wasn’t until after my kids
grew up and my life became my own that I dared act on my life-long dream. My
husband kept encouraging me to submit my manuscripts, but I was iffy. And then
one day, I found the nerve to query and, well, here we are.

What do you like best about being a writer?
What do you like the least? I
love writing. When I write, I’m perfectly happy. I love everything that has to
do with telling a story, the research, first draft, editing. Writing to me is a
reward. I love that I can work on my own schedule and from anywhere in the
world. I enjoy the people as well, my writer friends and the clever readers who
I get to meet through my novels. The non-writing aspects of the trade can be a
challenge and marketing and self-promotion are not my strong suits, but
overall, I love being a writer.

How do you think your life
experiences have prepared you for writing? I think that for us, creative types, life is food, fuel
and inspiration. Everything that we experience—small, large, significant or
peripheral—shapes our ideas and our stories.

Have you ever felt as if
you were being dictated to while you wrote a book--as if the words came of
their own accord? In
writing, we call what you’re describing as “being in the zone.” It’s the
writer’s ideal state, where the story is ready to serve and free flowing out of
you. Glory. I feel like that often. The bulk of every book I’ve ever written
comes from those moments of writing nirvana.

You’ve already written
four romance novels and are working on your fifth and sixth novels. What’s your
favorite time management tip? If
you are serious about a writing career, writing has to come first on your work
schedule. No way around it. Whether you’re a morning person or a night owl,
your best productive time has to be dedicated to writing. And you have to
write. A lot. You have to complete your manuscripts.

Are you a plotter or a
pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic”
writer? I like to
start with an outline, although it’s usually a messy one that combines bullet
points with paragraphs and scribbles with more elaborate ideas and chunks of
dialogue. But outlines were made to be ditched and I always follow my
characters into the “no outline” territory. I love to surprise myself almost as
much as I love to surprise my readers.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors,
what would it be? Write.
Write a lot, often, all the time. Write forward. Don’t get stuck on perfecting
a sentence. Set your sights on a completed first draft and go for it.

Josh Lane, decorated war hero and former SEAL
turned successful entrepreneur, is blunt, ruthless, intense and exacting; a
workaholic driven by internal demons, a man who doesn't play games, except in
bed, of course, where he is always in command.

When he meets Lily Boswell, a talented but
stifled artist trapped in a dangerous situation, he devises a sexual agreement
that explores their most primal erotic cravings, the only chance he might have
to protect her and vanish the demons that haunt his dreams.

Anna del Mar’s
contemporary romance may be just up your alley. One of the things I love about
Kristen is that she tends to write long, giving us a chance to dive into the
characters and relationships, and Anna offers the same great escape. In At the
Brink, Josh Lane is blunt, ruthless, intense and exacting; a workaholic driven
by internal demons; a man who doesn’t play games, except in bed, of course,
where he is always in command. Lily Boswell is trapped in a dangerous situation
and Josh has no problem taking advantage of that—to protect her and to get her
into his bed.

Excerpt

Well?” Josh said from his side of the screen. “What are you waiting for?” “Further instructions.” I crossed my arms. “They’re coming, aren’t they?” “How right you are.” He laughed. “I do have a commission for you.” “And what would you have me paint?” “Yourself.” “Oh?” I had a moment of confusion. “Do you want me to paint a self-portrait?” “Kind of, but not quite.” How was that for a reply that wasn’t one? “Look at the spread on the counter,” he said. I got up and inspected the neatly arranged supplies. An impressive array of high quality paint brushes, sponges, rags and other tools lay next to several bowls of water. A three-tiered display of paint jars rose against the wall, arranged along the color wheel spectrum. I’d never heard of the brand before. I unscrewed the cap of one of the jars and inspected the paint. A bright yellow shone from the jar, the color of sunlight, rich with pigment and thick as acrylic. I lowered my nose to the jar and sniffed carefully. I frowned. I knew my paints really well, and this looked like a quality product, but it was most definitively not acrylic, or oil, or anything I’d ever used before. I capped the jar and read the properties in the back panel. Water-based, quick dry, non-toxic, non-allergenic, smudge-proof, cleans off easy. Cleans off easy? I turned the jar in my fingers and spotted the label that confirmed what my brain had been screaming at me for the last thirty seconds. I met Josh’s amused stare on the screen. “Body paint?” “Yes, Lily.” His smile widened. “So shed that robe and get to work.”

Anna del Mar writes hot, smart
romances that soothe the soul, challenge the mind, and satisfy the heart. Her
stories focus on strong heroines struggling to find their place in the world
and the brave, sexy, kickass, military heroes who defy the limits of their
broken bodies to protect the women they love. Anna enjoys traveling, hiking,
skiing, and the sea. Writing is her addiction, her drug of choice, and what she
wants to do all the time. The extraordinary men and women she met during her
years as a Navy wife inspire the fabulous heroes and heroines at the center of
her stories. When she stays put—which doesn’t happen very often—she lives in
Florida with her indulgent husband and two very opinionated cats.